FM Arun Jaitley may take up H-1B visa issue with US authorities

Jaitley is leaving tonight on a five-day visit to the United States to attend the Spring Meetings of the World Bank and IMF as well as deliberations of G20 nations.

NEW DELHI: Finance Minister Arun Jaitley today indicated that he would take up the visa issue with the US authorities during his visit to America.

"These (IT industry issues) are matters of discussion with the appropriate authorities there. Once I do discuss and get an opportunity, I will let you know," he told reporters when asked whether he would take up the concerns of the Indian IT sector with the US administration.

The Indian IT industry has expressed serious concerns over the US government moving towards tightening the rules for grant of H-1B visa, mainly used by domestic IT professionals for short-term work.

US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order for tightening the rules of the H-1B visa programme to stop its "abuse" and ensure that the visas are given to the "most- skilled or highest paid" petitioners.

Jaitley is leaving tonight on a five-day visit to the United States to attend the Spring Meetings of the World Bank and IMF as well as deliberations of G20 nations.

During his stay in Washington and New York, he will hold meetings with American CEOs and institutional and pension fund investors, where he will pitch India as a favourable investment destination.

The finance minister is also slated to hold a meeting with the US Treasury Secretary.

India has time and again flagged its concerns over tightening of the visa regime in the US which targets the movement of professionals particularly in the IT sector.

The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in speciality occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise in specialised fields. Indian technology companies depend on it to hire tens of thousands of employees each year for their US operations.

The US market accounts for about 60 per cent of the revenue of the Indian IT industry.